Clearing after Snow

Austerity and quietude pervade this landscape of angular forms with delicate lines for the barren trees and gentle shading on the massive, moonlit, snow-covered rocks and hills. Through rhythmic brushwork, the artist has created a structure of horizontals and verticals, layered to evoke a feeling of gentle movement. Wan Qingli’s work reflects his diverse background and training. Growing up in Beijing, he learned classical poetry and painting from Li Keran (1907–1989) and from Lu Yanshao (1909–1993). Yet his self-expressive means reveal a propensity for synthesizing old and new. This landscape is markedly different from classical snowscapes. A feeling of starkness and modernity pervades the otherwise timeless mountain scene. Reflections in the icy water create an impression of moonlight, and the low vantage point suggests the artist’s experimentation with picture space. The artist’s inscription alludes to painting on a moonlit, drizzly night and to his loneliness, since the work was painted while he was living in America. He dedicated the painting to his new teacher in America, Chu-tsing Li, and to his wife, Yao-wen Li.